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Job outlook for neurologists in the United States
Neurologist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected neurologist job growth rate is 7% from 2018-2028.
About 55,400 new jobs for neurologists are projected over the next decade.
Neurologist salaries have increased 1% for neurologists in the last 5 years.
There are over 3,597 neurologists currently employed in the United States.
There are 23,991 active neurologist job openings in the US.
The average neurologist salary is $255,616.
Are neurologist jobs in demand?
Neurologist job and salary trends over time
Neurologist jobs over time
Neurologist job growth rate over time
Year  | # Of Jobs | % Of Population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,597 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 3,951 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 5,702 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 12,347 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 11,277 | 0.00% |
Average neurologist salary over time
Neurologist salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $255,616 | $122.89 | +2.5% |
| 2024 | $249,410 | $119.91 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $245,201 | $117.89 | --5.0% |
| 2022 | $258,017 | $124.05 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $252,561 | $121.42 | +4.7% |
Neurologist jobs by state
Most common states for neurologists
| Rank | State | Population | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | 623,657 | 22 | 4% |
| 2 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 45 | 3% |
| 3 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 126 | 2% |
| 4 | Alaska | 739,795 | 17 | 2% |
| 5 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 15 | 2% |
| 6 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 123 | 1% |
| 7 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 104 | 1% |
| 8 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 88 | 1% |
| 9 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 81 | 1% |
| 10 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 81 | 1% |
| 11 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 60 | 1% |
| 12 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 34 | 1% |
| 13 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 33 | 1% |
| 14 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 28 | 1% |
| 15 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 23 | 1% |
| 16 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 15 | 1% |
| 17 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 11 | 1% |
| 18 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 10 | 1% |
| 19 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 7 | 1% |
| 20 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 4 | 1% |
Most common cities for neurologists
| Rank | City | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bangor | 2 | 6% | $239,937 |
| 2 | Clearfield | 2 | 6% | $253,641 |
| 3 | Gillette | 2 | 6% | $286,295 |
| 4 | Bountiful | 2 | 5% | $251,977 |
| 5 | Casper | 2 | 3% | $274,709 |
| 6 | Cheyenne | 2 | 3% | $262,450 |
| 7 | Omaha | 4 | 1% | $246,511 |
| 8 | Charleston | 2 | 1% | $227,135 |
| 9 | Houston | 6 | 0% | $208,791 |
| 10 | Jacksonville | 3 | 0% | $206,901 |
| 11 | New York | 3 | 0% | $217,737 |
| 12 | Detroit | 2 | 0% | $236,953 |
Neurologist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of neurologist experts
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
Kent State University
University of Kentucky
Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Nova Southeastern University
Henderson State University
Roger Kelley M.D.
Professor of NeurologyLouisiana State University Health Sciences Center
Neurobiology And Neurosciences
What general advice would you give to a Neurologist?
Roger Kelley M.D.: I would recommend that they address quality of life issues as a priority with emphasis on location, on-call expectations, family obligations and effective partnerships. Obviously, if financial challenges are at play, then they will need to be more flexible in terms of service obligations in order to justify their salary expectation.
What Neurologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Roger Kelley M.D.: The management of stroke and neurocritical care will be highly attractive and well reimbursed. EEG might be impacted by AI as might other procedures such as EMG and sleep studies. There will be an increasing need for cognitive specialists and movement disorder specialists to meet the needs of neurodegenerative disease in older patients.
What will help Neurologists increase their earning potential?
Roger Kelley M.D.: Maximizing salary potential tends to translates into either a lot of on-call activity, such as stroke and neurocritical care, and/or a lot of well reimbursed procedures.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Neurologists?
Wilson Chung Ph.D.: COVID-19 highlights how events outside your control can give you a life experience that has no comparison. Whether you are young or old, an example is the graduation ceremony, which is the final event of a graduate’s college experience that punctuates their college chapter—a celebration for them, their family, and friends currently no longer possible. I am sure they will be thinking about 2020 for the rest of their life.
What type of skills will young Neurologists need?
Wilson Chung Ph.D.: Adaptability. Evidence of hands-on experience and ability to convey that knowledge to others and ability to work with others and connect with peers and established professionals in their chosen fields.
Dr. Mark Prendergast Ph.D.
University Research Professor, Director, Neuroscience B.S. Degree ProgramUniversity of Kentucky
Psychology Department
What experience really stands out on Neurologist resumes?
Dr. Mark Prendergast Ph.D.: “Hands-on” experience outside of the classroom is precious to a former student heading into the workforce. Such experiences may include internships, working directly with faculty on independent research projects, or shadowing a professional working in a given field.
What Neurologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Mark Prendergast Ph.D.: Again, hands-on skills, even if that means volunteering.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Neurologists in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Mark Prendergast Ph.D.: Neuroimaging and direct brain stimulation are emerging as tremendously valuable tools to understand how the brain and behavior interact.
What experience really stands out on Neurologist resumes?
Deborah Podolin Ph.D.: Demonstrated proficiency in skills (mainly technical skills) that are listed on the resume/CV. For example, being able to cite the hours of experience using specific skills. Also, contributing to a published abstract or paper in a respected journal can help students stand out.
What Neurologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Deborah Podolin Ph.D.: If a student is interested in working in a laboratory, any technical skills are what they should obtain. Even if they find some time to volunteer in a lab (maybe at their undergrad institution) or volunteering with a scicomm (science communication) organization doing demonstrations, it shows that they are committed to developing and maintaining their technical skills.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Neurologists in the next 3-5 years?
Deborah Podolin Ph.D.: Quantitation is increasingly important, so understanding statistics and the basics of computing is critical to adapting to new technologies. And of course, mastering fundamental skills like making solutions and pipetting accurately is always essential to success.
Dr. Mercedes Fernandez Ph.D.
ProfessorNova Southeastern University
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience
What type of skills will young Neurologists need?
Dr. Mercedes Fernandez Ph.D.: NSU’s Experimental Psychology Program provides the highly competitive skills needed to succeed in the workforce:
- Working in teams
- Working independently
- Possessing strong oral and written communication skills
- Being educated consumers of research
- Producing independent research
- Proficiency in using current professional software tools
- Proficiency in open-access software, including R and Python
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Neurologists to find work opportunities?
Dr. Mercedes Fernandez Ph.D.: Numerous government agencies and private companies in the USA provide employment opportunities for graduates with these skills:
- Colleges and universities are teaching undergraduate students
- Research lab coordinators in universities and industry
- Conducting institutional research
- Businesses that want to analyze and interpret big data sets (e.g., police departments, Disney World)
How do you envision technology impacting Neurologists in the next 5 years?
Dr. Mercedes Fernandez Ph.D.: Advances in technology are enabling more flexible data collection and distance communication and training:
- Survey research is moving out from the laboratory to online platforms
- Laboratory equipment is becoming increasingly more ambulatory, enabling data collection outside the laboratory
- More work, teaching, and meetings are being held remotely due to advances in online conferencing technology
Roger Kelley
Professor and Chairman of NeurologyHenderson State University
Department of Neurology
What general advice would you give to a Neurologist?
Roger Kelley: There will an impact in “overserved” areas of the country with the pandemic, and this includes places like Boston, New York, and Philadelphia where thousands of local trainees graduate each year and often enter the local job market. There is only so much to go around, and there will be cutbacks in reimbursement for care related to the financial impact of COVID-19 on the economy as well as the competition in the job market tends to drive the reimbursement lower. The higher unemployment rate, in particular areas, will have a definite effect on health insurance coverage. The underserved areas, such as rural and areas of the country with much less in terms of trainees entering the job market, will continue to have a strong demand for healthcare workers to fill ongoing critical needs that are not presently filled. Economic regions, particularly impacted by COVID-19, such as leisure and travel, will certainly suffer in terms of the need for healthcare services related to job loss and relocation.
What Neurologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Roger Kelley: As mentioned in Answer 1, underserved areas, and growing areas such as Texas, Florida, the Carolinas, should continue to have a robust need for graduates.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Neurologists?
Roger Kelley: Telemedicine will expand to meet the needs of underserved regions. The benefits of telemedicine are limited, as one cannot actually examine the patient and get a feel for their demeanor, expectations, etc. like one has during an actual visit. It is particularly suited for follow-up patients who are stable and do not necessarily need a “hands-on” approach. Certain patients welcome telemedicine visits because of safety and convenience, while many others find them superficial and of limited value. Many visits are scheduled for reassurance, and this is limited by telemedicine, especially with technological limitations, which can be seen with present WiFi access as well as the logistics of setting this up for a patient remotely. Many patients, especially older ones and those impaired, have significant challenges with the logistics. AI will be a major factor in upcoming years with potential automated “reads” in Radiology and Pathology. Perhaps less of a factor in other fields of Medicine, but it is quite possible that sophisticated “examination scans” will become more sensitive than the present physical exam in the future.